MSU study: Novice teachers need a good working relationship with school principals

New research from Michigan State University shows novice teachers need a good working relationship with their school’s principal.

MSU researchers interviewed new elementary and middle school teachers in Michigan and Indiana. The study found novice teachers don't seem to mind heavy workloads or a lack of resources.

But the researcher did find many teachers who said they were ready to look for another job or quit the profession entirely, if they felt they weren’t getting the support they needed from their school’s principal.

Peter Youngs is associate professor of educational policy at Michigan State University. Youngs says the novice teachers place a high value on trust.

“A number of things that contribute to trust would be…teachers perceiving a principal as someone whose competent in the different things they are doing….someone having integrity….(and) follow up what they say, ” says Youngs.

Youngs says it’s important for school districts to hire principals who are good at working with teachers, not just managing the school building.